Sierra Leone’s Shooting Stars Gear Up for WAFU-A U-20 Tournament in Mali

The Sierra Leone U-20 national team will return to the regional stage in Bamako, Mali, from 15 October 2026, where the Shooting Stars will battle for WAFU Zone A glory and a place at the 2027 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, carrying with them the growing expectations that followed their historic breakthrough on the continental stage.

For a country that only recently celebrated its first-ever qualification for the U-20 AFCON, the upcoming WAFU-A tournament presents a different kind of challenge: can Sierra Leone’s emerging generation do it again?

That question will be at the centre of attention when Head Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara leads his side into the competition in Mali.

From Historic Qualification to Higher Expectations

Sierra Leone’s youth football landscape changed significantly after the Shooting Stars reached the final of the WAFU Zone A Championship and secured qualification for the 2025 U-20 AFCON in Egypt.

It was more than a qualification.

The campaign gave Sierra Leone a generation of young players capable of competing against some of West Africa’s strongest youth sides and created a new level of belief around the national U-20 team.

The Shooting Stars defeated Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and The Gambia on their way to the WAFU final before eventually losing to Senegal.

Their reward was a historic ticket to the continental championship.

Now, the challenge is to ensure that achievement becomes the beginning of a tradition rather than a one-time success.

Sierra Leone U-20 in Group B: A Rematch with Senegal

The draw has already placed Sierra Leone in Group B, alongside Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau.

That means a meeting with Senegal, the defending champions and the team that beat the Shooting Stars in the last final. The top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals, so every point in Group B will matter.

Why the Sierra Leone U-20 Will Be the One to Watch

What makes the 2026 campaign particularly fascinating is the question of whether Sierra Leone can maintain the momentum created by its previous generation.

Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara invited 43 players to camp in August and is expected to announce his final squad ahead of the tournament, with supporters waiting to see which young talents will be trusted to carry the country’s hopes in Bamako.

Among the names attracting attention are Sallieu Bah, Samuel Gandi and Dauda Bangura, players expected to play important roles as Sierra Leone looks to compete at the highest level in the zone.

The previous campaign also produced a standout name. Momoh Kamara finished among the tournament’s leading scorers and was recognised as the competition’s Best Player, setting the standard for the attackers who follow.

But Sierra Leone’s strength may not rest on one player.

The team has increasingly benefited from a mixture of locally developed talent and young Sierra Leoneans developing their football in Europe. That combination offers the Shooting Stars technical quality, exposure and a wider pool of talent from which to build.

A New Generation, a Familiar Ambition

U-20 national team posing for a photo. Photo: SLFA

 The 2026 tournament will also provide an opportunity for another generation of Sierra Leonean youngsters to introduce themselves to the regional football scene.

For many of these players, the WAFU-A championship could become the first major international platform on which they attract attention from clubs, scouts and football followers across Africa and beyond.

That makes the tournament bigger than just a qualification campaign.

It is also a stage for Sierra Leone’s young footballers to establish themselves.

And with places at the 2027 U-20 AFCON at stake, every match in Bamako will carry added significance.

Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara Faces Another Test

For Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara, the tournament represents another opportunity to demonstrate that the progress made by Sierra Leone’s U-20 side can be sustained.

His previous team showed discipline, resilience and an ability to compete against stronger opposition, particularly through a compact defensive approach and quick attacking transitions.

Head Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara. Photo: SLFA

The question now is whether he can reproduce those qualities with a new group of players.

The coach’s ability to blend emerging local talents with players exposed to football outside Sierra Leone could prove crucial.

The Bigger Picture for Sierra Leone

The importance of the tournament extends beyond the U-20 team itself.

Sierra Leone has often struggled to translate promising youth talent into sustained success at senior international level. A consistent U-20 programme could help create a stronger pathway from youth football to the Leone Stars.

Another successful WAFU campaign would therefore offer more than a trophy or qualification.

This will strengthen confidence in the country’s youth development system and give another group of players the international exposure needed to take the next step in their careers.

For the Shooting Stars, however, the immediate objective is clear.

Bamako. A place in the final. And a ticket to the 2027 U-20 AFCON in Ghana.

After making history once, Sierra Leone’s young footballers now have an opportunity to prove that they belong among the teams to watch in West African youth football.

The Shooting Stars are no longer entering the competition simply as hopeful outsiders.

They are returning with expectations.

Written by Alisious Ligurie Matthew Kongo